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Bus Line Passed Safety Test Before Deadly Crash

Posted on: Wednesday, 22 February 2006, 12:00 CST

By Carrie Coppernoll, The Daily Oklahoman

Feb. 22--Federal inspectors awarded the El Conejo bus line a satisfactory safety rating in a compliance review less than two weeks before one of the carrier's vehicles slid off an icy Interstate 35, killing two people and injuring dozens. Autobuses El Conejo Inc. passed the inspection Feb. 7, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Satisfactory is the highest rating possible in the regularly scheduled inspections. Like many companies, El Conejo has problems, said Ian Grossman, an administration spokesman. "They've had some issues with their driver performance and their safety management performance," he said. "They're not quite into the deficient level, but they're close." An El Conejo bus carrying more than 40 passengers overturned Saturday just south of Pauls Valley when the bus driver reportedly hit the brakes to avoid a car. Rocio Jara, 28, and Jay Elizondo, 8, died. Three others remain in area hospitals. Two women are at the OU Medical Center, one in fair condition and the other serious. A passenger taken to Norman Regional Hospital is in good condition. Their names have not been released. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol is investigating the crash. No citations have been issued. Grossman said federal officials will look into what happened but haven't decided how in-depth their review will be. The National Transportation Safety Board is not investigating the accident, a spokesman said. The El Conejo officials could not be reached for comment. Evaluations below average The company's safety evaluations have been below average, according to the safety administration. About 65 percent of companies the administration evaluates have better driver safety ratings. About 70 percent of the companies have better company safety management. But El Conejo is about average for "out of service" infractions, violations that force buses or drivers to be taken off the road until changes are made. About one in seven El Conejo buses was put out of service after an inspection, according to the safety administration. Nationally, about one in five inspections result in the vehicle being put out of service. Buses can be put out of service for something as simple as a bad windshield wiper or as serious as broken brakes, Grossman said. About one in 14 El Conejo drivers was put out of service after inspection, about the same as the national average. The crash last weekend was a combination of several factors, including weather, trooper Doug George said. Up to a half-inch of ice and snow covered I-35, he said Monday.

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation is responsible for keeping the interstate highways clear, and crews worked nonstop from Friday night to Monday afternoon, spokeswoman Brenda Perry said Tuesday. Highway workers dumped nearly 500 tons of salt and 60 tons of sand on a 40-mile stretch of highway that includes the crash site, Perry said. Highway workers used trucks, plows and sanders to stay ahead of the weather as much as possible, she said.

Snow and sleet were falling Saturday morning when the El Conejo bus left Oklahoma City, Transportation Department spokeswoman Terry Angier said.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Daily Oklahoman

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Source: The Daily Oklahoman

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